The perceptual and attentive impact of delay and jitter in multimedia delivery

In this paper we present the results of a study that examines the user’s perception—understood as both information assimilation and subjective satisfaction—of multimedia quality, when impacted by varying network-level parameters (delay and jitter). In addition, we integrate eye-tracking assessment to provide a more complete understanding of user perception of multimedia quality. Results show that delay and jitter significantly affect user satisfaction; variation in video eye path when either no single/obvious point of focus exists or when the point of attention changes dramatically. Lastly, results showed that content variation significantly affected user satisfaction, as well as user information assimilation

Stars in their eyes: What eye-tracking reveal about multimedia perceptual quality

Perceptual multimedia quality is of paramount importance to the continued take-up and proliferation of multimedia applications: users will not use and pay for applications if they are perceived to be of low quality. Whilst traditionally distributed multimedia quality has been characterised by Quality of Service (QoS) parameters, these neglect the user perspective of the issue of quality. In order to redress this shortcoming, we characterise the user multimedia perspective using the Quality of Perception (QoP) metric, which encompasses not only a user’s satisfaction with the quality of a multimedia presentation, but also his/her ability to analyse, synthesise and assimilate informational content of multimedia. In recognition of the fact that monitoring eye movements offers insights into visual perception, as well as the associated attention mechanisms and cognitive processes, this paper reports on the results of a study investigating the impact of differing multimedia presentation frame rates on user QoP and eye path data. Our results show that provision of higher frame rates, usually assumed to provide better multimedia presentation quality, do not significantly impact upon the median coordinate value of eye path data. Moreover, higher frame rates do not significantly increase level of participant information assimilation, although they do significantly improve overall user enjoyment and quality perception of the multimedia content being shown

Pervasive and standalone computing: The perceptual effects of variable multimedia quality.

The introduction of multimedia on pervasive and mobile communication devices raises a number of perceptual quality issues, however, limited work has been done examining the 3-way interaction between use of equipment, quality of perception and quality of service. Our work measures levels of informational transfer (objective) and user satisfaction (subjective)when users are presented with multimedia video clips at three different frame rates, using four different display devices, simulating variation in participant mobility. Our results will show that variation in frame-rate does not impact a user’s level of information assimilation, however, does impact a users’ perception of multimedia video ‘quality’. Additionally, increased visual immersion can be used to increase transfer of video information, but can negatively affect the users’ perception of ‘quality’. Finally, we illustrate the significant affect of clip-content on the transfer of video, audio and textual information, placing into doubt the use of purely objective quality definitions when considering multimedia presentations

From Keyword Search to Exploration: How Result Visualization Aids Discovery on the Web

A key to the Web's success is the power of search. The elegant way in which search results are returned is usually remarkably effective. However, for exploratory search in which users need to learn, discover, and understand novel or complex topics, there is substantial room for improvement. Human computer interaction researchers and web browser designers have developed novel strategies to improve Web search by enabling users to conveniently visualize, manipulate, and organize their Web search results. This monograph offers fresh ways to think about search-related cognitive processes and describes innovative design approaches to browsers and related tools. For instance, while key word search presents users with results for specific information (e.g., what is the capitol of Peru), other methods may let users see and explore the contexts of their requests for information (related or previous work, conflicting information), or the properties that associate groups of information assets (group legal decisions by lead attorney). We also consider the both traditional and novel ways in which these strategies have been evaluated. From our review of cognitive processes, browser design, and evaluations, we reflect on the future opportunities and new paradigms for exploring and interacting with Web search results

On the Design of a Dual-Mode User Interface for Accessing 3D Content on the World Wide Web

International audienceThe World Wide Web, today's largest and most important online information infrastructure, does not support 3D content and, although various approaches have been proposed, there is still no clear design methodology for user interfaces that tightly integrate hypertext and interactive 3D graphics. This paper presents a novel strategy for accessing information spaces, where hypertext and 3D graphics data are simultaneously available and interlinked. We introduce a Dual-Mode User Interface that has two modes between which a user can switch anytime: the driven by simple hypertext-based interactions "hypertext mode", where a 3D scene is embedded in hypertext and the more immersive "3D mode", which immerses the hypertextual annotations into the 3D scene. A user study is presented, which characterizes the interface in terms of its efficiency and usability

Distributed multimedia quality: The user perspective

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University.Distributed multimedia supports a symbiotic infotainment duality, i.e. the ability to transfer information to the user, yet also provide the user with a level of satisfaction. As multimedia is ultimately produced for the education and / or enjoyment of viewers, the user’s-perspective concerning the presentation quality is surely of equal importance as objective Quality of Service (QoS) technical parameters, to defining distributed multimedia quality. In order to extensively measure the user-perspective of multimedia video quality, we introduce an extended model of distributed multimedia quality that segregates quality into three discrete levels: the network-level, the media-level and content-level, using two distinct quality perspectives: the user-perspective and the technical-perspective. Since experimental questionnaires do not provide continuous monitoring of user attention, eye tracking was used in our study in order to provide a better understanding of the role that the human element plays in the reception, analysis and synthesis of multimedia data. Results showed that video content adaptation, results in disparity in user video eye-paths when: i) no single / obvious point of focus exists; or ii) when the point of attention changes dramatically. Accordingly, appropriate technical- and user-perspective parameter adaptation is implemented, for all quality abstractions of our model, i.e. network-level (via simulated delay and jitter), media-level (via a technical- and user-perspective manipulated region-of-interest attentive display) and content-level (via display-type and video clip-type). Our work has shown that user perception of distributed multimedia quality cannot be achieved by means of purely technical-perspective QoS parameter adaptation

The mobile information access experience - A user perspective

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University.Mobile technologies, such as mobile phones, smartphones and Palmtop computers, are in an upwards trend and earliest models of such devices are already available to end-users to communicate and access multimedia content on-the-move. As a logical outcome of this development in mobile technologies and devices, content provider companies have already started investing and piloting mobile multimedia content distribution and broadcasting technologies. Nevertheless, no matter how cutting-edge technology is and no matter how stylish the mobile devices are, the ultimate success of wireless communication technologies and devices are directly associated with the user adoption and embrace of these new equipment and technologies. In this perspective, since multimedia content, for mobile or not, is ultimately produced for the education and/or enjoyment of viewers, the user's perspective concerning the presentation quality is surely of equal importance as objective Quality of Service (QoS) technical parameters, to defining distributed multimedia quality. In order to comprehensively understand user experiences whilst accessing information using mobile devices and technologies, we investigate user-mobile device interaction and look into the surrounding issues in a uniform manner by combining multiple aspects: user initial device experience (Out-of-Box Experience), mobile information access in a real-world context, device impact on user information access and perceptually tailored multimedia content impact on user information assimilation and satisfaction. Accordingly, an extensive experimental investigation has been undertaken to see how user experiences varied based on device familiarity, device type, real-world context and variable locations. The findings has shown that the overall perception, and effectively the user information access experience, is affected and improved when multimedia content is tailored according to user device type and context. Thus highlights that the future of mobile computing necessitates two-faceted research, which should combine both a user as well as a technical perspective

Design de interface para sites: desenvolvimento de uma metodologia orientadora considerando a comunicação entre clientes e usuários

Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro Tecnológico. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Engenharia de Produção.Este trabalho apresenta a problemática da desqualificação dos webdesigners no mundo da WEB, tomando como premissa básica a comunicação realizada pelos sites via sua interface. Levanta-se os conhecimentos específicos necessários a criação de sites comunicativos e a relação que existe entre eles de interferência e contribuição no processo de organização da informação para definir a melhor diagramação dos elementos visuais e sonoros em sua interface. Neste processo é discutida uma maneira de relacionar os objetivos que o cliente (dono do site) do webdesigner pretende alcançar e as reais necessidades do usuários alvo, para que o site possa atender ambos. Para trabalhar com as variáveis levantadas, é sugerido uma metodologia diferenciada que trabalhe com a relação existente dos interesses distintos de clientes e usuários, priorizando sempre os conhecimentos específicos necessários ao processo de criação e desenvolvimento de sites comunicativos. Oferece-se na mesma, para webdesigners desqualificados no assunto, um suporte de tabelas de considerações técnicas com os conteúdos específicos levantados. O modelo metodológico proposto utiliza como base uma pesquisa feita "in loco" na disciplina de Comunicação no Ciberespaço no Massachusetts Institute of Technology - MIT. Realiza-se um estudo de caso para demostrar sua aplicabilidade, apresentando ao final as conclusões do trabalho proposto e recomendações futuras. O trabalho foi desenvolvido como requisito para o curso de doutorado em Engenharia de Produção, na área de Gestão do Design e do Produto, na Universidade Federal de Santa Catarin

Demokratisierung von Wissen im Anschluss an Otto Neurath

Die vorliegende Arbeit geht in ihrer Analyse zunächst den für die Wissensgesellschaft spezifischen Diskrepanzen zwischen Ideal und Wirklichkeit nach. Die konkreten Defizite, die dabei sichtbar werden, führen zu der These, dass die gegenwärtige Wissensgesellschaft durch ein ökonomisch-rationales Verständnis von wertvollem und erstrebenswertem Wissen geprägt ist. Sie führen ferner zu der These, dass dieses eingeschränkte Verständnis auf wirtschaftlich verwertbares Wissen aus normativ-demokratiepolitischen Gründen um reflektierendes und gesellschaftlich reflexives Wissen erweitert werden muss. Ausgehend davon bleibt diese Arbeit nicht bei der Analyse der Defizite und der bloßen Forderung nach dem Idealzustand stehen, sondern unternimmt den Versuch, einen möglichen Weg für die praktische Ausgestaltung der sozialen Aufklärung und der Demokratisierung von Wissen aufzuzeigen und gangbar zu machen. Sie knüpft dabei an das bildpädagogische Projekt von Otto Neurath an, welches sowohl vom theoretisch-aufklärerischen Anspruch als auch vor dem Hintergrund des gegenwärtigen iconic turn als besonders anschlussfähig erscheint. Sie rekonstruiert deshalb das Werk von Otto Neurath im Detail und unternimmt in einer kritischen Revision dann den Versuch, sowohl das theoretische als auch das graphische Werk Neuraths auf seine möglichen Anknüpfungspunkte für eine zeitgenössische Form sozialer Aufklärung durch visuelle Mittel zu überprüfen, es mit dem spezifischen Kontext der Wissensgesellschaft und den gegenwärtigen medialen Entwicklungen abzugleichen und entsprechend zu modifizieren. Die Arbeit kommt zu dem Ergebnis, dass das Neurathsche Werk von enormer Aktualität für die Anforderungen einer defizitären Wissensgesellschaft ist und seine theoretischen wie graphischen Prinzipien in weiten Teilen auch für eine zeitgenössische Form der visuellen sozialen Aufklärung übernommen werden können.This thesis starts with an analysis of contemporary knowledge societies and its inherent discrepancy of ideal and empirical actuality. It gives rise to the assumption,, that contemporary knowledge societies are characterized by a strong economical comprehension of useful and desireable knowledge. This shortened comprehension has problematical consequencies for democracy and needs to be widened with reflective and reflexive knowledge on society.Contemporary knowledge societies are in need of social enlightenment in order to be full-blooded according to their ideal. Subsequent to this analysis the thesis heads on to develop a feasible way of contemporary social enlightenment. It refers to the Bildpädagogik of Otto Neurath, which seems to be a seminal basis because of both its educational drive as well as its visual method. A detailed reconstruction of Neuraths theoretical and visual work is followed by a critical revision in order to carve out its possible connectivity to contemporary requirements. Besides some inevitable modification concerning e.g. cultural sensibility in designing, the thesis concludes, that Neuraths work provides an excellent starting starting point and may be perfectly connected to in the context of computer- and internet based communication and education